Harvester.



A. J. ARTON. HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED P373. 28, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS :0" WASHINGTON. n. 2.

- Patented Feb.9, 1909.

A. J. PARTON.

' HARVESTEB .A-PPLIOATION FILED 1'33. 28, 1908..

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ANDREW JAOKSONPARTON, OF BIG SPRING, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. W. MCOUTOHAN, OF BIG SPRING, TEXAS.

HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Fatented Feb. 9, 1909.

Application filed February 28, 1908. Serial No. 418,261.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW JAoKsoN PARTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Big Spring, in the county of Howard and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of harvesters known as "toppers which remove and gather the heads of Kafir-corn, broomcorn, sorghum and similar crops in the field.

The object of the present invention is to provide in a machine of this kind an improved cutting mechanism which can be raised or lowered to suit the height of the stalks.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means foreffecting this ad justment of the cutting-mechanism so that the same may be readily made by the operator.

The invention also has for its object a novel arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, whereby the efliciency of the machine is increased, and its construction as well as its operation is simplified.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 5 denotes the box or body of a wagon on which the cutting-apparatus to be hereinafter described is mounted. The box is supported at its front end on Wheels 6 and 7, respectively, and at its rear end on a caster w eel 8. The wheel 7 is the driving-wheel for actuating the cutting-apparatus, it being provided with traction-ribs 9 to prevent slipping.

The Wagon-box 5 is utilizedto receive the heads after they are cutoff, and to facilitate their removal from the box, the rear end thereof isprovided with a door 10. At the front end of the box is a seat 11 for the driver, and a tongue 10 for the draft-animals. 1

The cutting-apparatus comprises a reciprocating cutter-bar 12 having triangular knives which work under guards 13. The cutting-apparatus is mounted on a platform 14 which is carried on one side of the wagon-box. On this side of the wagon-box is rigidly secured a bracket 15, and from the bottom of the platform 14 depend stems 16 which pass through holes in the bracket 15. At the rear end of the platform is also a depending tubular stem 17 which works over a stem 18 rigidly secured to a beam 19 fastened to the bottom of the wagon-box 5. The object of supporting the platform 14 in this manner is to enable it to be raised or lowered whereby the cutting-mechanism is adjusted to suit the height of the stalks.

The herein described vertical adjustment of the platform 14 is effected by means of a wiper 20 fixed to a rock-shaft 21 mounted in suitable bearings secured to the side of the wagon-box. The rock-shaft is fitted with a hand-lever 22 provided with a latch 23 which is engageable with a segment-rack 24 secured to the wagon body, for locking the lever. The wiper 20 engages the bottom of the platform 14 and upon swinging the hand-lever 22 forwardly or rearwardly the platform is raised or lowered. After the desired vertical adjustment of the platform is made the lever 22 is locked by means of the latch 23 and segment-rack 24 which holds the platform in adjusted position.

' The cutter-bar is operated by a pitman 25 connected to a wrist-Wheel 26 the shaft 28 of which is mounted in a suitable bearing 27 secured to the top of the platform 14. On the shaft 28 is a bevel-gear 29 which meshes with a bevel-gear 30 on a vertical shaft 31 geared to the driving-wheel 7. The shaft is in two telescoping sections to permit the vertical adjustment of the platform 14 hereinbefore described. The upper section of the shaft is tubular and receives the lower section 32 which is square. On said lower section is a bevel-gear 33 which meshes With a bevel-gear 34 connected in any suitable manner to the driving-wheel 7. Through the gearing herein described the cutter-bar is reciprocated When the machine is driven across the field. I

At the front end of the platform 14 is a slot 35 Which converges rearwardly and serves as a gathering;way or guide for directing the stalks to the cutter-bar, the latter working across the rear or narrow end of the slot. The sides of this end of the slot are armed with knives or blades 36 located directly in front of the cutter-bar 12. The knives 36 converge toward said cutter-bar and assist to sever the heads from the stalks.

At the rear end of the wagon-box is a chute 36 Which delivers the severed heads thereto. The platform 14 extends rearwardly far enough to deliver the heads to the chute and behind the cutter-bar the platform is inclined so that the severed heads roll down the same into the chute.

In front of the cutting-mechanism is a horizontally disposed reel 37 for pressing the heads rearwardly and holding them in position against the cutting-mechanism to be severed thereby. The reel is mounted in a bearing-standard 38 rising from the platform 1.4. On the shaft of the reel is a bevel gear 89 Which meshes With a bevel-gear 40 on a vertical shaft 41 mounted in bearing-blackets 42 secured to the standard 38. On the shaft 41 is also a bevel-gear 43 which meshes With the bevel-gear 30. Through this gearing the reel is rotated from the driving- Wheel 7.

In use, the machine is driven across the field With the guide-Way 35 in line with the roW of stalks. The stalks travel along said guide-way and the heads thereof are severed by the cutting-mechanism hereinbefore described. The severed heads roll down the inclined portion of the platform 14 and drop on the chute 36 which delivers them to the Wagon body 15 from which they can he readily removed upon opening the door 10. If the cutting-mechanism requires vertical adjustment it is readily effected by means of the hand-lever 2 and its associated parts hereinbefore described. The hand-lever is located close to the drivers seat so that the form at the front end thereof, andv a chut i arranged below the rear end of the platform and leading to the receptzmle.

In testimony whereof I ail'lx my signature,

in presence of two Witnesses.

ANDREI J JA KSON PARTON.

Witnesses:

E. E. GREEN, L. V. READ. 

